-Unless a price is specifically written out (and sometimes even then) know that almost everything is negotiable.

-Before ordering any food, ask the price and make sure that you understand what you are getting for that price. We had many vendors who would show us the bill corresponding with the cost when we would ask “how much?” (bao nhiêu in Vietnamese, pronounced bow n-you)

-We were occasionally quoted a price that was inflated tremendously. When we countered with a lower price they would usually take it immediately. I read that the Vietnamese expect and appreciate a good negotiation. They do not consider it rude. We found this to be true. In some countries, the negotiation seems like a way to try in a rip you off, but here it is seems more like it’s what they think they can get away with. When you press them, they’re fine with a lower price. This is not to say that you won’t run into people whose plan is to try and separate you from your money. Be cautious and always ask questions.

-Most of our taxi drivers spoke very little English, so we were thankful for the small amount of Vietnamese that we had learned. The taxi drivers also do not seem well versed in explaining what they are doing or where they are taking you.

-Only ride in taxis with meters and tell them to turn it on. We used the taxi company Vinasun exclusively as they have a great reputation and an app for your smart phone.

-When researching this trip I came around many accounts of travelers renting motorbikes (motorcycles, Vespas, etc.) even though it is technically illegal to do so. What I didn’t grasp until we were in the country was that motorbikes were the only real option for independent travel outside a city. While I am glad that we did not rent motorbikes as we had no prior experience riding them (and we met far too many travelers with motorbike injuries and accident stories to tell), I did not like that this limited in our transportation options. In Hoi An and Tam Coc, we were able to rent bicycles cheaply, but could not cover the distances that a motorbike could. On Cat Ba, the hills were too much for a mere pedal bike and the only other option for getting around the island was by tour bus. Before I visit Southeast Asia again, I would take the time to become more familiar with motorbikes and how to ride them safely.

– Taking domestic flights within Vietnam was definitely worth the money to save some time. We flew VietJet Air three times with the average price for a one-way flight at $53USD. Beware that the site is buggy and it took me multiple tries to book tickets on each attempt. The trains take too long when trying to cover long distances. The sleeper bus is doable if you’re short in stature and small in build, but if you taller than 5’8” you’ll have a hard time fitting in the reclined seat.

Here I am in a sleeper bus seat. I am 5’3″ tall so I fit but my husband and our friend (who are both much taller than I am) did not fit comfortably in their seats.

– Consider using a trip to Vietnam as a cheap shopping opportunity. Need new t-shirts and flip-flops…why not get them there? If you’re looking for custom dresses, suits, etc., it might be worth more of a look than we gave it. Even for everyday things (sandals, umbrellas, etc.), it’s usually way cheaper to get them in Vietnam than at home. Also, the pharmacies in Vietnam offer most pharmaceutical drugs over the counter. When we needed Cipro and cough medicine we bought it there and the prices were cheap.

– It was easier to find triple rooms in Vietnam than it has been in other countries. This was great since we could usually split a hotel room three ways and it was only a bit more expensive than all three of us staying in a dorm together (along with others).

– As a traveler you cannot drink the tap water in Vietnam. Thankfully, you can find bottled water everywhere. Just shop around in each town or city you visit to find the going rate. The best deal we came across was 6,000VND for 1.5L of water.

-Vietnam is an amazing country to travel in when you are on a budget. The cost for my husband and I for this three week trip was just under $2,000USD which includes all of our flights, food, transportation, etc. We definitely could have spent even less than we did in Vietnam, but we wanted a few creature comforts once in a while; privacy, a clean bathroom, imported wine, and hassle free transportation in the form of taxis and faster ferries.

– As Americans traveling to Vietnam, you need to have a visa to enter the country and it is advised that you obtain the visa before you get to Vietnam. When we went looking for visa information, we were directed to a website (http://vietnamembassy-usa.org/consular) and email address (dcconsular@gmail.com). Having the visa in our passports when we arrived saved a lot of time, energy, and confusion.

After a couple of days in Ho Chi Minh City, we flew to Da Nang on Vietjet Air and grabbed a taxi to Hoi An. We had researched how to take a taxi or bus to the bus station in Da Nang and then hop on another bus headed to Hoi An, but once we did the math, it was only an extra few dollars for the three of us to take a taxi (410,000VND) and avoid the hassle of a bus station transfer.

We had planned to stay at the Hoi An Travel Lodge. It was on the higher end of our budget, but we were ready to try to negotiate the price down. Unfortunately, due to the Full Moon Lantern Festival being in full swing, the hotel was completely booked. We went in search of another comfortable, clean place to stay. We ended up at the Village Homestay on one of the smaller islands that makes up Hoi An. The room was spacious, had a small balcony, refrigerator, air conditioning, and cable TV. We were able to negotiate with the owners and paid 400,000VND per night. The family who runs the homestay was very helpful and really made us feel welcome.

The lanterns displayed all over town were so cheerful. We were lucky to catch the end of the Lantern Festival.

After settling into our room, we walked around to scope out the town and, more importantly, the food. Many of the restaurants are more expensive than what we’d found in Saigon because Hoi An is a tourism hot spot. Ultimately, we were able to find some delicious, reasonably-priced restaurants both off the beaten path and right in the heart of the tourist area. We ate a lot of street food while we were there. Much like anywhere else in Vietnam, we would ask the price before we ordered just in case a high price was being quoted. We ate in the market a few times as well and found delicious phở and bún soups for about 20,000VND per bowl.

Here a woman in the market prepares a tasty meal.

While in Hoi An, we did not visit any of the museums or cultural sites, so I can’t comment on them. We did, however, rent bicycles one day (20,000VND per bike) and it was the best decision we made in Hoi An. We looked at a map and found some nearby islands that were connected by bridges and rode around for most of the day enjoying the countryside and taking in its beauty. The only issue we had with the bike ride was when we stopped in a town to get lunch, we were routinely turned away or were quoted prices that were ridiculously high. I’m not sure why we receive this treatment but it definitely put us off. Thankfully, we had brought snacks with us and eventually did find a small restaurant that would serve us phở for a reasonable price.

Our ride through the rice paddies was a great experience and one of our favorite days while in Vietnam.

In the evenings, we went looking for cheap drinks. We found a few places that were much cheaper than others and frequented these over other bars that were more centralized and more expensive. One bar called Chips ‘N Fish had super cheap “draft” beer. We figured that someone in town had a keg of beer and would dole the beer out to multiple restaurants. The beer was a little flat but for 4,000VND a glass, it would do (at least for awhile). The concept of happy hour has definitely caught on in Hoi An but the specials can range from 20% off to half price to a discount off drink prices so inflated that it’s not really a discount at all. Shop around before settling in.